Mobile Device Battery Management

• US 20120013504A1
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Published: 01/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Raento, Mika, Maynard, David S., Lee, Steven John
• Granted Patent: US 8,319,685 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.29
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3212 Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/23 for mobile advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products. Data representing a plurality of power management profiles for a battery-operated wireless computing device are stored on the device. The power management profiles correspond to different power consumption levels. Each power management profile defines a feature for determining a geographic location of the device from among a plurality of features that are available for determining the geographic location of the device, and a frequency for employing the feature to determine the geographic location of the device. A first battery level of the device is determined. If the determined battery level is lower than a first predetermined amount, the device switches from a first power management profile having a first consumption level to a second power management profile having a second consumption level that is lower than the first consumption level.

Claims

1. A battery-powered mobile computing device comprising:

a battery to provide power;

a processor;

a Global Positioning System (GPS) component to obtain information about the geographic location of the device, wherein;

the information about the geographic location of the device obtained using the GPS component has a first degree of accuracy, and

obtaining information about the geographic location of the device using the GPS component consumes a first amount of battery power;

a wireless communication interface to obtain information about the geographic location of the device, wherein;

the information about the geographic location of the device obtained using the wireless communication interface has a second degree of accuracy that is less than the first degree of accuracy, and

obtaining information about the geographic location of the device using the wireless communication interface consumes a second amount of battery power that is less than the first amount of battery power; and

a memory storing instructions executable by the processor, the instructions including;

first instructions corresponding to a first application that utilizes information about a geographic location of the device;

second instructions corresponding to a second application that utilizes information about a geographic location of the device;

third instructions corresponding to a location updater module, the location updater module to request either the GPS component or the wireless communication interface to obtain information about the geographic location of the device; and

fourth instructions corresponding to a location services module, the location services module to;

register the first and second applications for access to information about the geographic location of the device;

determine whether the first or the second application is, or was recently, active; and

control the location updater module regarding whether to use the GPS unit or the wireless communication interface to obtain the information about the geographic location of the device based, at least in part, on a determination as to whether the first or the second application is, or was recently, active.

2. The battery-powered mobile computing device of claim 1 wherein the location services module controls the location updater module to use the GPS unit to obtain the information about the geographic location of the device if one or more of the applications that require information about the current geographic location of the device are active.

3. The battery-powered mobile computing device of claim 1 wherein the location services module controls the location updater module to use the wireless communication interface to obtain the information about the geographic location of the device if one or more of the applications that require information about the current geographic location of the device is not currently active and was not recently active.

4. The battery-powered mobile computing device of claim 3 wherein the wireless communication interface comprises a WiFi transceiver.

5. The battery-powered mobile computing device of claim 1 wherein the location services module controls the location updater module to request information about the geographical location of the device at a frequency that depends, at least in part, on an extent to which the device is moving.

6. The battery-powered mobile computing device of claim 1 wherein the location services module controls the location updater module to request information about the geographical location of the device at a frequency that depends, at least in part, on whether or not the device is determined to be substantially stationary.

7. The battery-powered mobile computing device of claim 1 comprising a power manager to determine a remaining level of battery power available in the device, wherein the second location services module controls the location updater module to request information about the geographical location of the device at a frequency that depends, at least in part, on the remaining level of battery power.

8. The battery-powered mobile computing device of claim 7 wherein the location services module controls the location updater module to update information about the geographical location of the device at a lower frequency if the remaining level of battery power drops below a predetermined amount.

9. A method of operating a battery-powered mobile computing device having a processor, a memory, and a battery, the method comprising:

determining, by the device, whether an application that is available on the device and that uses information about a current geographic location of the device is, or recently was, active;

using, by the device, a first location-determining technique to determine the geographic location of the device if the application is, or recently was, active, wherein the first location-determining technique uses a first amount of battery power; and

using, by the device, a second location-determining technique to determine the geographic location of the device if the application is not active and was not recently active, wherein the second location-determining technique uses a second amount of battery power that is less than the first amount of battery power.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first location-determining technique uses information from a GPS system.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the second location-determining technique uses cell ID or a WiFi access point information.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein information about the geographic location of the device obtained using the first technique has a first degree of accuracy, and information about the geographic location of the device obtained using the second technique has a second degree of accuracy that is less than the first degree of accuracy.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the application is considered to be active if the application is the focus of a graphical user interface on the device.

14. The method of claim 9 including requesting information about the geographical location of the device at a frequency that depends, at least in part, on an extent to which the device is moving.

15. The method of claim 9 including requesting information about the geographical location of the device at a frequency that depends, at least in part, on whether or not the device is determined to be substantially stationary.

16. The method of claim 9 including updating information about the geographical location of the device at a frequency that depends, at least in part, on a remaining level of battery power in the device.

17. The method of claim 16 including updating information about the geographical location of the device at a lower frequency if the remaining level of battery power drops below a predetermined amount.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program comprising instructions that, if executed by a processor of a mobile computing device, operate to cause the mobile computing device to perform operations comprising:

determining whether an application that is available on the device and that uses information about a current geographic location of the device is, or recently was, active;

using a first location-determining technique to determine the geographic location of the device if the application is, or recently was, active, wherein the first location-determining technique uses a first amount of battery power; and

using a second location-determining technique to determine the geographic location of the device if the application is not active and was not recently active, wherein the second location-determining technique uses a second amount of battery power that is less than the first amount of battery power.

19. The medium of claim 18 wherein the first location-determining technique uses information from a GPS system.

20. The medium of claim 19 wherein the second location-determining technique uses cell ID or WiFi access point information.

21. The medium of claim 18 wherein information about the geographic location of the device obtained using the first technique has a first degree of accuracy, and information about the geographic location of the device obtained using the second technique has a second degree of accuracy that is less than the first degree of accuracy.

22. The medium of claim 18 wherein the application is considered to be active if the application is the focus of a graphical user interface on the device.

23. The medium of claim 18 including instructions that, if executed, operate to cause the device to request information about the geographical location of the device at a frequency that depends, at least in part, on an extent to which the device is moving.

24. The medium of claim 18 including instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the device to request information about the geographical location of the device at a frequency that depends, at least in part, on whether or not the device is determined to be substantially stationary.

25. The medium of claim 18 including instructions that, if executed, operate to cause the device to update information about the geographical location of the device at a frequency that depends, at least in part, on a remaining level of battery power in the device.

26. The medium of claim 25 including instructions that, if executed, operate to cause the device to update information about the geographical location of the device at a lower frequency if the remaining level of battery power drops below a predetermined amount.

27. A battery-operated mobile computing device comprising:

a battery to provide power;

a processor;

a Global Positioning System (GPS) component to obtain information about the geographic location of the device, wherein obtaining information about the geographic location of the device using the GPS component consumes a first amount of battery power;

a wireless communication interface to obtain information about the geographic location of the device, wherein obtaining information about the geographic location of the device using the wireless communication interface consumes a second amount of battery power that is less than the first amount of battery power; and

a memory storing instructions executable by the processor, the instructions including;

first instructions corresponding to a first application that utilizes information about a geographic location of the device;

second instructions corresponding to a second application that utilizes information about a geographic location of the device;

third instructions corresponding to a location updater module, the location updater module to request either the GPS component or the wireless communication interface to obtain information about the geographic location of the device; and

fourth instructions corresponding to a location services module, the location services module to;

determine whether the first or the second application is, or was recently, active; and

control the location updater module regarding whether to use the GPS unit or the wireless communication interface to obtain the information about the geographic location of the device based, at least in part, on a determination as to whether the first or the second application is, or was recently, active.

28. The battery-operated mobile computing device of claim 27 comprising a power manager to determine a remaining level of battery power available in the device, wherein the information about the geographical location of the device is updated at a frequency that depends, at least in part, on the remaining level of battery power.

29. The battery-operated mobile computing device of claim 28 wherein the information about the geographical location of the device is updated at a first lower frequency if the remaining level of battery power drops below a first predetermined amount.

30. The battery-operated mobile computing device of claim 28 wherein the information about the geographical location of the device is updated at a second frequency lower than the first lower frequency if the remaining level of battery power drops below a second predetermined amount lower than the first predetermined amount.